It is not often the case that it is the older maiden that is the source of a fixture’s big draw, but that could arguably be said of Loughrea last weekend, as Colin Bowe introduced the well-related Wallace Olinger.
As his name might suggest, the six-year-old is a half-brother of Bob Olinger, yet unlike his elder sibling who enjoyed his first taste of competitive action in the pointing fields at the age of four, it was a more patient approach that had to be employed with Wallace Olinger.
However, ultimately the result was the same, as like Bob Olinger had done when winning at Turtulla in November 2019 when under the care of Pat Doyle, it was also a debut success for Wallace Olinger who is two years his junior.
Bought by Mags O’Toole for €88,000 at the 2020 edition of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby sale, it was the colours of Robcour’s own Brian Acheson that Sophie Carter sported aboard the bay in the novice riders older geldings’ maiden.
Making every inch of the running the pair never had a moments concern as the son of Fame And Glory breezed clear of his rivals to prevail by 50 lengths.
“He’s taken a while to get to the track but obviously has plenty of ability along with the breeding,” Carter said.
“He’s not with us too long either and we’re learning about him the whole time. He never missed a beat for me. I thought the ground would actually be worse but it was loose enough and he got through it well.”
His success continues a winning run for his dam, the Zaffaran-sired Zenaide, with her runners in the point-to-point fields, with Bob Olinger, Six Gun Serenade, Feel The Pulse and now Wallace Olinger all winning between the flags.
She has also thrown further track winners in Insult, Myska, Daring Carlotta, and Never Feel Blue, to ensure that each of her eight offspring that have run in a race have all now won.
Rachael Blackmore strikes again!
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 17, 2021
Bob Olinger wins the @Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in style for @HenrydeBromhead
#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/neS2r7ydq7
